Category: KCKCC

by Alan Hoskins, KCKCC

One of Baker University’s best women’s soccer players is coming back. The assistant women’s coach at Kansas City Kansas Community College the past two years, Sara Matthews, is returning to Baker as the head women’s soccer coach.

In four seasons at Baker, Matthews was a three-time team captain, Heart of America all-conference and the 2007-2008 Baker Student Senate Female Athlete of the Year. After earning an MBA from Washburn University while serving as an assistant coach, she returned as assistant coach at Baker from 2010-2014.

“We’re very excited to have Sara back,” Nate Houser, Baker athletic director, said. “Her time as a student athlete as well as an assistant coach during our first journey to the national stage make her a perfect fit for the program. As a coach, she was with us for our first national semifinal appearance in 2010, our national quarterfinal appearance in 2011 and our final 16 appearance in 2013. She was also part of the team’s last conference championship and knows what it takes to win in the Heart of American Conference.”

“Returning to my alma mater is still a bit surreal, especially during the COVID-19 craziness and not being able to get on campus right away,” Matthews said. “However, this opportunity is so special to me having both played there and coached there. Many coaches don’t get this opportunity in their career so I feel so honored and thankful. The amount of support I’ve already received in a short amount of time has reminded me of Baker’s family atmosphere. I love my Baker roots and can’t wait to get going.”

“This is a perfect fit, I’m very happy for her,” said KCKCC coach Shawn Uhlenhake, whose Blue Devils had their first winning season (13-4), were nationally ranked and reached the Region VI championship game this past season. “Sara demonstrated many capabilities for us that will help make her a great head coach. She set the level high for the next assistant.”

“I absolutely loved my two years at KCKCC and am truly grateful to Shawn and KCKCC for every moment of growth and success we’ve been able to share,” Matthews said. “The girls, staff and coaches have made it an amazing experience. KCKCC and our Blue Devil soccer team will always hold a special place in my heart and I can’t wait to provide another option and connection to a four-year school for a number of girls.”

Matthews is Uhlenhake’s second assistant coach to leave for a head coaching position in his four years at KCKCC. Two years ago Katie Kelly left to take over the coaching reins at Avila University.

In addition to serving as an assistant coach at KCKCC, Baker and Washburn, Matthews was head coach at Avila for four years. She has also coached the KC Fusion Soccer Club team since 2013 and has had more than 75 percent of her players compete at the collegiate level. In 2017, she was named Kansas Youth Soccer Association Girls Competitive Coach of the Year after winning the Fall State President’s Cup and the U.S. Youth Soccer Region II President’s Cup.

The successor to Mark Sheldon, Matthews inherits a veteran Wildcat squad that returns three all-conference players from a team that finished 10-7-1 and defeated three teams that were ranked or received votes in the NAIA Coaches Top 25 poll.

by Alan Hoskins, KCKCC

Kansas City Kansas Community College all-region standout Jalen Davis is taking his multiple basketball talents back to Texas.

A native of Houston, Davis has committed to the University of Texas-Tyler, an NCAA Division II university and a member of the Lone Star Conference.

“Closer to home and a chance to play for coach (Louis) Wilson. He’s a good man.” Davis said of his decision to commit to Tyler over offers from seven other schools. “It’s three-hour drive from Houston instead of 11 hours (to Kansas City).”

“I’m excited for him,” KCKCC coach Brandon Burgette said. “He’s coming off a phenomenal season. And he’s in good hands with coach Wilson, who I know quite well.”

The relationship between the two coaches was key to Davis’ recruitment during the two months recruiting visits have been off limits because of the coronavirus.

“I’m a good friend of Brandon so I followed his team and monitored his players,” said Wilson, who has only seen Davis in action on video. “It’s difficult but not impossible.”

A 6-4 two-year starter, Davis played a major role in KCKCC winning its first Jayhawk Conference championship in the 50-year history of the league. The Blue Devils also won the Region VI championship and a berth in the NJCAA Division II national tournament for only the second time ever but were denied a chance to play in the national tourney because of the COVID-19.

In the Region VI playoffs, Davis scored 26 points in leading KCKCC to a 100-79 win over Labette in the semifinals and it was his 3-point goal and subsequent free throw that broke a 68-68 tie in the closing minute of the Blue Devils’ 75-68 win over Johnson County in the championship game. Six times he scored 24 or more points including highs of 28, 29, 30 and 31.

The Blue Devils’ scoring leader at 13.9 points a game, Davis finished 10th in the nation on free throw percentage (.851). He also shot 50.9 percent from the field and 39.7 percent from 3-point while averaging 3.5 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.0 steals per game.

“Jalen can do a lot of things,” Burgette said. “A top-notch athlete, he can play multiple positions and score at all three levels. Defensively, he can defend with the best of them. And at most positions. He’ll fit right with the style of play Tyler uses.”

“We play a very fast, up tempo style of basketball predicated on pressure and Jalen’s talents and skills fits very well into our program,” Wilson said. “First and foremost, he’s a Texas kid and has roots here. He has size, length and great versatility to play multiple positions. We think he has a chance to play very good defense in our system with his ability to guard three positions.”

Davis will be joining another former Blue Devil at Tyler, guard Solomon Thomas, who played the 2017-2018 season at KCKCC before transferring to North Central Missouri and then Georgia Southwestern State this past season.

A two-year all-state high school guard in Anchorage, Alaska, Wilson is no stranger to basketball in the Kansas City area. He played two years at Trenton Junior College (now North Central Missouri) and two years for Larry Holley at William Jewell in 1986-1988, playing on a 1986-1987 Cardinal team now in Jewell’s Hall of fame.

Wilson began his coaching career as an assistant at Southern Utah, Idaho State and California State Northridge before becoming head coach at NCAA Division II Adams State where in five years he compiled a 95-46 record. Before coming to Tyler this past season, Wilson was assistant coach at Utah State three years and one year as associate head coach at Grand Canyon University.

by Alan Hoskins, KCKCC

Not content with one national basketball championship, Kansas City Kansas Community College standout Caroline Hoppock has her sights set on another one.

“That’s my goal, two national championships,” Hoppock said after committing to an NAIA national power, William Penn in Oskaloosa, Iowa. “They’ve got a program good enough to win a second national championship.”

“I’m really happy for her,” said Joe McKinstry, a two-time national coach of the year at KCKCC and a William Penn graduate. “I really like to see our players go on and play in meaningful games and for national championships and she’ll do that at William Penn.”

Indeed, Steve Williamson has taken the Lady Statesmen to the NAIA DI national tournament in each of his three seasons as head coach.

An automatic qualifier in the national this past season with a 25-7 overall record (19-5 conference), the Statesmen were denied a chance at a national championship by the coronavirus pandemic.

Prior to coming to William Penn, Williamson coached 13 years at Iowa Wesleyan where he had five teams qualify for the NAIA national tournament and three teams reach the USCAA national tournament where the Tigers finished runnerup in 2016 and Williamson was named national coach of the year.

Williamson expects Hoppock to make an immediate impact on a Statesman program that loses seven seniors and a junior who graduated early.

“She fits in perfectly with the way we play,” Williamson said. “We’ll play her exactly the same way Joe (McKinstry) did with a lot of four and five in and out motion. We think she’ll create a lot of mismatches because of her ability to shoot the ball from the perimeter as well as rebound and play the post.”

Williamson’s first look at Hoppock came in her freshman year in 2017.

“I like watching Joe’s teams play because they play hard and compete so we know we’re getting a good player,” he said. “Caroline showed she could compete and shoot the ball as a freshman. Now she comes in a lot more prepared and can become a leader. We’ve got eight spots to fill but we feel we’ve got good kids coming in from great programs like KCKCC, Kirkwood and Highland.”

Unlike most recruits denied visitations by the pandemic, Hoppock is no stranger to the William Penn program in more ways than one. Not only did KCKCC play in Oskaloosa in each of her three seasons, she’ll also have an inside track on the William Penn offense.

“During the 2018-2019 year I saw Penn play at Mid-America Nazarene and really liked what they were doing offensively,” McKinstry said. “During the break coach Williamson sent me three pages of notes on their offense and we took some things from their offense that really helped us, especially in the national tournament. Caroline is a smart defensive player and her talent and ability as an offensive weapon will make her a good player for a real solid program.”

“I think it’s a perfect fit for me starting a new journey,” Hoppock said. “It’s got a great winning culture which is what I wanted. The coach is awesome and they really wanted me. And they have amazing facilities – a great weight room, basketball and volleyball courts, a turf field. They also have a ton of sports including football. I love football, I missed not having it at KCKCC.”

Ironically, the NAIA has announced plans for adding Flag Football for Women this fall and should William Penn add it as its 10th women’s sport, the college would have a bona fide quarterback in Hoppock, who throws a football with the best, men included.

In Hoppock, William Penn will get a three-year veteran who played a vital role in KCKCC winning the 2019 NJCAA national championship.

Invaluable off the bench in a “sixth man” role, she averaged 7.3 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.4 assists playing in all 36 games. Sidelined by injury after just six games as a freshman, Hoppock also missed the Blue Devils’ first 16 games this season because of injury. Playing in 15 games, she averaged 13.3 points, shooting 41.7 percent from 3-point and .821 from the free throw line, both team bests.

“Were it not for all the injuries, Caroline would undoubtedly have been the best 3-point shooter I’ve ever had,” McKinstry said.

When she finally got into action this season, Hoppock knocked down five 3-pointers in each of her first three games. Last year, she tied the all-time record for threes when she made eight of 11 attempts. Averaging 2.6 threes this season, Hoppock finished her career with 109 treys in 57 games, fifth on the all-time career list.

Looking back, Hoppock calls her decision to play at KCKCC “one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. Coach Mac did so many things for me and really took care of me, not just playing basketball but preparing me for life and how to get things done.”

William Penn is a member of the Heart of America Athletic Conference, which has members in five states including Baker, Benedictine and Mid-America Nazarene in Kansas.

“It’s the toughest conference in the nation in Division I,” Williamson said. “For us, our success has been remarkable thanks to getting the right type of kids from winning programs.” Other Heart members are in Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska and Illinois.